Dec 27, 2023

Spokane County Superior Court

Chuang

Last week Gov. Jay Inslee announced the appointment of Dean Tze-Ming Chuang to the Spokane County Superior Court. He will be appointed to fill the new 13th judicial department, effective Jan. 8, 2024.

Chuang is a partner at the law firm of Crary, Chuang & Domanico, P.S., where he primarily represents clients in personal injury actions, general litigation and criminal misdemeanor and felony crimes. Chuang began as an associate with this firm in 2008 and became a partner in 2011. His prior work experience includes serving as a contract public defender for the city of Kennewick, as well as representing clients in family law, administrative law, and other civil matters.

Chuang has a strong record of giving back to his community, including service on the advisory committee to the Office of Public Defense, providing pro bono legal work in support of the Housing Justice Project for multiple years, and coaching mock trial for local youth. As a former member of the U.S. Army and Washington State Army National Guard, and current member of the U.S. Army Reserve, Chuang served in both Syria and Northern Iraq, and was awarded multiple medals for his meritorious service.

“Dean Chuang is well respected and well prepared to serve the Spokane County community in this role,” said Inslee. “I'm pleased that he will bring his work ethic, courage and skills to the Spokane County Superior Court bench.”

Chuang earned two bachelor's degrees, one from Whitman College and another from the University of Washington. He earned his law degree from Gonzaga University School of Law.

Dec 21, 2023

King County Library System

Daniel

The King County Library System's board of trustees selected Heidi Daniel to become executive director following a nationwide search after Lisa Rosenblum's announcement to retire. Daniel will begin March 11. Daniel will join KCLS from the Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore, where she has served as president and CEO since 2017. Daniel also oversaw the completion of the Central Library renovation, and helped spearhead plans for a new Park Heights Library, the Pratt's first new building in more than 15 years. She helped launch the library's Office of Equity and Fair Practices, steered the organization through the start of the unionization process, led new public service strategies through the pandemic, and kickstarted a new master facilities plan. Prior to working at the Pratt, Daniel served as executive director of the Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County in Ohio for nearly five years. Daniel was the 2015 recipient of the Ohio Librarian of the Year award. Supporting the communities of King County (outside the city of Seattle), KCLS has 50 libraries and serves nearly 1.6 million people.

City of Tacoma

The Tacoma City Council passed an ordinance to set April 1 as the effective date for the annexation of the Manitou area, an unincorporated “island” in Pierce County bounded by Lakewood Drive West, 65th and 70th streets West, and the county and city boundaries to the east of 52nd Avenue West. This annexation, which will ensure the area's urban development is appropriately supported by urban governmental services, is aligned with state Growth Management Act priorities. In December 2021, the city entered into an interlocal agreement with Pierce County as required by state law. With the agreement, the city expressed its shared commitment to working in partnership with Pierce County to move forward with the annexation.

Dec 20, 2023

Know Labs

Seattle-based Know Labs, a developer of non-invasive medical diagnostic technology, appointed four new members to its medical and scientific advisory board: Jeff Hitchcock, Karmeen Kulkarni, Dr. Meng Tan and Dr. Satish Garg. They bring extensive experience in clinical diabetes management, including the advancement of new technologies and innovation in medical diagnostics. The board provides guidance to the executive team and board of directors as the company moves from the laboratory to clinical testing and FDA clearance of its non-invasive continuous glucose monitor. Hitchcock is the founder, president and CEO of Children with Diabetes (CWD), an honorary member of the International Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Diabetes, and a recipient of the T1D Exchange 2021 Outstanding Parent Advisor Award. Hitchcock founded CWD in 1995 in response to his then 7-year-old daughter's T1D diagnosis in 1989. CWD provides families and caregivers with guidance through science-based content and practical suggestions from pediatric endocrinologists, certified diabetes educators, nurses, nutritionists, researchers, advocates and fellow parents. Kulkarni is a certified diabetes care and education specialist, board-certified advanced diabetes manager and registered dietitian. Recognized for her clinical expertise and contributions to nutrition and diabetes management, Kulkarni has received numerous national awards from the American Dietetic Association, American Diabetes Association and Abbott Diabetes Care. Tan is currently professor emeritus of internal medicine for the Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology and Diabetes at the University of Michigan. Tan graduated with his M.D. from Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada, and completed his post-doctoral training in diabetes at the Joslin Diabetes Center, Harvard University, and in lipoprotein metabolism at the Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco. Garg is a professor of medicine and pediatrics at the Adult Clinic of the Barbara Davis Center for Diabetes at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. Garg has published over 350 original manuscripts in peer-reviewed journals, and has been part of several studies that have brought technological breakthroughs to diabetes care.

Protect AI

Protect AI, an artificial intelligence and machine learning security company, has been named to the inaugural edition of the Fortune Cyber 60 List, which recognizes the top 60 cybersecurity companies in the world. Protect AI was selected for helping organizations see, know and manage security risk in ML systems and AI applications, so they can defend against unique AI security vulnerabilities, data breaches and emerging threats. Founded by AI leaders from Amazon and Oracle, Protect AI is funded by Acrew Capital, boldstart ventures, Evolution Equity Partners, Knollwood Capital, Pelion Ventures and Salesforce Ventures. The company is headquartered in Seattle, with offices in Dallas and Raleigh, North Carolina.

Dec 19, 2023

Snom Americas

Snom Americas, a provider of professional and enterprise VoIP solutions, appointed Vincent Gianfrancesco as its new channel account manager for cloud service providers/MSPs. Snom says Gianfrancesco is a seasoned channel management and business development professional, with experience in sales pipeline management, account management and technology product marketing. His experience spans various roles, most recently as the alliance partner manager for service providers and strategic partners with Everbridge. He previously served as the strategic alliances manager at Fusion Connect and business development manager at Telin Systems. In his new role, Gianfrancesco will be responsible for developing and nurturing channel partnerships, driving sales strategies, and contributing to the company's overall growth in the Americas. Snom provides telecommunication products, which are sold through a network of partners and are backed by North American-based training and support. Snom Americas is headquartered in Tigard, Oregon. Parent company VTech is headquartered in Hong Kong.

Adams County Superior Court

Gov. Jay Inslee appointed K. Peter Palubicki to the Adams County Superior Court. He will replace judge Steve Dixon, who will retire from the bench after Dec. 31. Currently, Palubicki serves as the chief deputy prosecuting attorney for the Adams County Prosecutor's Office, a position he has held since 2017. As chief deputy prosecuting attorney, Palubicki prosecutes the most serious felonies in Adams County. Throughout his career, Palubicki has served communities throughout Washington as a deputy prosecuting attorney, including Stevens and San Juan counties. As the founder of Adams County Law Day in 2018, Palubicki continued his ongoing efforts to encourage young students to take an interest in law and become more informed about their constitutional rights. The program is now an annual multi-day event. Palubicki earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Washington, and his law degree from the University of Washington School of Law.

Idacorp

Idacorp and Idaho Power named Amy Shaw vice president of finance, compliance and risk, effective Jan. 1. Shaw currently serves as the director of investor relations, compliance and risk for Idacorp and Idaho Power. Shaw has been with Idaho Power for 20 years, with much of that time spent in leadership. Her previous roles included senior management positions in compliance, risk and security after starting with the company as an accountant. Shaw holds a bachelor's degree in business from the University of Idaho, and completed the University of Idaho's Energy Executive Course in 2016. Idacorp, Boise-based and formed in 1998, is a holding company comprised of Idaho Power, a regulated electric utility; Idacorp Financial, a holder of affordable housing projects and other real estate investments; and Ida-West Energy, an operator of small hydroelectric generation projects. Idaho Power, also headquartered in Boise, has been a locally operated energy company since 1916.